There was a moment late on at Old Trafford that illustrated the problem facing Ruben Amorim. Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund failed to hold the ball up as it ricocheted off him. When it came to Joshua Zirkzee, he misplaced the pass anyway.
Hojlund is supposed to lead the line. Zirkzee is supposed to be a ball player. Such is the lack of confidence in the two - strikers United have paid a combined fee in excess of £100m for in consecutive summers - Amorim dropped both against Crystal Palace.
Their cameos off the bench explained why but it is a damning indictment that the United coach felt Kobbie Mainoo, a teenager playing out of position up front, represented the better option. Palace's own genuine striker, Jean-Phillipe Mateta, won the match.
In a way, the situation is worrying for all three of United's young players. Mainoo was only pressed into action there himself because Amorim has stated that he is "struggling to defend in midfield" - forcing Bruno Fernandes to adjust to take on that deeper role.
Mainoo did briefly enjoy himself, creating one chance and going close with another inside the early stages. It was enough to persuade Amorim to argue that the Mainoo experiment had worked. It was a particularly optimistic interpretation of events.
"We have had games without connections and with difficult to transfer the ball in the final third. We did that today, created chances. Kobbie gave us connections and they found it hard to find the player to press. The idea worked in that moment," he claimed.
There was some truth to it. Mainoo did complete 14 passes in his 70 minutes on the pitch, just two short of Hojlund's season high of 16 when playing full matches against Newcastle and West Ham. The Dane is often unable to detach himself from his marker.
Nevertheless, as Marcus Rashford headed for the exit, it meant United were operating with a front three of which Alejandro Garnacho has the most top-flight career goals - a total of 13. As for Hojlund and Zirkzee, neither man has scored since before Christmas.
It is perfectly possible that the problems at United are systemic, that Amorim's entire way of playing is contributing to the team's struggles and would undermine even the most lethal of strikers. But with so little pedigree in attack, can anyone really be sure?
Hojlund scored nine Serie A goals in his 32 games for Atalanta, Zirkzee 13 in his 53 appearances for Bologna. United were betting big on potential, but the decision to turn to Mainoo instead suggests that Amorim will not be prepared to wait indefinitely.
Garner's passing for Everton
Orel Mangala's season-ending injury against Brighton presented an opportunity for James Garner in Everton's midfield and he seized that chance in style with an impressive performance in the Toffees' 4-0 win over Leicester at Goodison Park.
This was Garner's first start since early October after suffering a back problem and it came in his favoured position. His previous two Premier League starts this season had come at right-back under Sean Dyche. He is a good crosser and can do that job.
But midfield allows Garner to show the full range of his capabilities and his through-ball for Beto's second goal was the pass of the match. "I thought James did great," said Everton manager David Moyes afterwards. "His pass for the goal was fabulous."
In the six Premier League games played on Saturday, no player created more chances than Garner and nobody all weekend made more through-balls. That passing ability adds a dimension to Everton's midfield that they have certainly missed without him.
Moyes will want to keep him fit now. "I was a bit concerned about him playing as long as he did because I just need him to be right and get through and that was his first game," he said afterwards. "I thought he did a great job and I was pleased to have him back."
Cunha's importance to Wolves
Matheus Cunha sealed Wolves' win over Aston Villa, selling Ezri Konsa the dummy before crashing the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The announcement that he has signed a new contract puts an end to his transfer saga - at least until the summer.
Cunha's quality separates Wolves from their relegation rivals. He has 11 goals and four assists in the Premier League. Only six players have been directly involved in more goals in the competition and all play for clubs considerably higher up the table than Wolves.
His relationship with Vitor Pereira suffered when the head coach questioned his body language against Chelsea and another inhibited performance against Arsenal had some wondering where the Brazilian's head was at. Against Villa, the real Cunha returned.
Pereira has tweaked his positioning, moving Cunha deeper in an attempt to make Wolves a little less open than they had been under Gary O'Neil. It is a move aimed at tightening up but it has the effect of ensuring Cunha gets on the ball even more.
Against Villa, he had 55 touches, more than any Wolves player. Many came in his own half but Cunha's ability to carry the ball - his total carry distance of 4.54 kilometres this season ranks him seventh in the Premier League - means he can still impact from there.
All smiles at the end, bridges rebuilt and a mood transformed, Cunha now seems content to focus on Wolves for the rest of the season. Good news for those at Molineux. A big problem, one suspects, for the survival prospects of Ipswich and Leicester.
